If I have been able to empower women in Singapore to push the boundaries and reach their fullest potential, I am most grateful for the chance to do s… - Halimah Yacob

Multiracialism has been Singapore’s reason for existence since our independence and is an important component of our National Identity. When we resolved that Singapore will be a multiracial nation, we also accepted and celebrated our differences as a source of strength, and not a cause for division. We valued diversity, which meant guaranteeing that each race and creed would have a space and place as contributing members of our society. Multiracialism has served us well, and today Singapore enjoys relative harmony and cohesion.

The raison d’etre for meritocracy is clear. The economic advantage that accrues to a person should depend on capabilities and effort rather than family background. Meritocracy allows the most talented to succeed through equality of opportunities and fair competition leading to a more equitable distribution of income and wealth. Meritocracy facilitated social mobility in Singapore, enabling the growth of an expanding middle class. We now agree, however, that the very conditions that contributed to meritocracy can also result in inequality.

We must also be cognisant of subtler threats to multiracialism, which may chip away at our cohesion and stability over time. As a small and open economy, Singapore has remained open to foreign talent, as they contribute strengths and expertise that enable us to remain economically competitive. However, living cheek by jowl on such a small island means that it is crucial for them to be able to socially integrate into our local communities. They must recognise that they are part of our society too, and in Singapore we interact with, and live among people who are different from ourselves. Left unaddressed, sentiments among Singaporeans that foreign talents play by different rules, and stick only to their own, may fester. We often cite our origin as a migrant society, to reassure ourselves that we have enough bandwidth to adjust to the challenges of sharing our small city with newcomers.